There were once 50 million bison roaming in the United States, nearly all of whom we exterminated. Today, the National Park Service wants to slaughter hundreds of survivors living near the Grand Canyon, leading George W. Bush’s speechwriter to author an op-ed slamming the depravity. And if you needed more evidence that wildlife-watching is more valuable than wildlife-slaughtering, this story of a single bird who added a quarter million dollars to the economy is quite a tale.
Wild birds may be on the move, but domesticated chickens are still largely stuck in factory farms. About a dozen states this week filed legal actions against California and Massachusetts seeking to overturn the laws we’ve passed protecting consumers from inhumane and substandard eggs. In response, a major MA paper responded editorializing in favor of the state’s farm animal protection law. Such attacks aren’t limited to the courts, however. Factory farmers are also trying to nullify our state laws in the Congress. Instead of trying to eliminate animal welfare laws, perhaps governments may start exploring a novel but important proposal: a meat tax.
There is one way Congress is trying to do something good for animals, though. Just yesterday, in fact, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously for the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture Act.
Finally, why’d I smash a painting on the TEDx stage? You can find out in the first of four TEDx talks I’ve recently delivered, which just got posted online.
Have a nice weekend,
Paul
Paul Shapiro
Vice President of Policy Engagement
The Humane Society of the United States
Follow at http://twitter.com/PaulHShapiro
P.S. Video of the week: This dog really loves Queen.
